


can you hear me?

by kinneyb



Category: The Magicians (TV), The Magicians - Lev Grossman
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, First Meetings, M/M, Misunderstandings, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21590077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinneyb/pseuds/kinneyb
Summary: Penny is a fool, falling for a nerdy wide-eyed boy, who obviously has a crush on the handsome, charming Eliot Waugh.
Relationships: Kady Orloff-Diaz/Julia Wicker, William "Penny" Adiyodi/Quentin Coldwater
Comments: 8
Kudos: 180





	can you hear me?

Penny had a type, he couldn’t help it: he liked the shy, nerdy ones, the ones who didn’t know how beautiful they are, who hid from the world for no good reason. The thing was, they didn’t like him. Because he was the exact opposite: he was sure of himself, confident, snarky, maybe even a bit mean (when the situation called for it).

He scared them away, which - - okay, yeah, really fucking sucked but he wasn’t about to be something he wasn’t just to catch a girl or guy. Fuck that. He’d spent most of his childhood a scared, insecure little thing; he wasn’t going back.

So usually he ended up with girls like Kady, the girl he bumped into after the exams. She was like him, sarcastic and confident, with long, dark curls and pretty eyes lined with black.

Penny immediately slapped on his charm, but Kady, unlike most girls, didn’t look impressed. She stared at him, not angry, exactly. Actually, she looked - - really fucking amused with the whole thing.

“Thanks,” she mused, crossing her arms, “but I’m not interested.”

Penny wasn’t sure why, but. He felt oddly relieved as his shoulders fell and the smirk was wiped from his face.

“I’m Penny,” he said.

Kady raised a dark eyebrow. “Penny, really?” It wasn’t mean, just curious. “Kady,” she added after a beat, peering over his shoulder.

Penny followed her eyes and noticed a girl a few feet away, chattering animatedly with a guy. She was pretty in a way that wasn’t exactly intimidating: long, flowing hair and a thin face, the corners of her lips quirked up in a smile that seemed entirely genuine as she threw her arms around the guy, hugging him so, so tight.

Penny paid the guy no attention and looked back. “I now know why you weren’t interested,” he muttered, slowly smirking again.

Kady’s eyes snapped back to his face, a little harder now, closed off. “What?”

His smirk softened around the edges a little. “I’m not mad,” he said. “Girl’s pretty, I get it. Go get her, tiger,” he teased, grinning when Kady gaped at him.

“Fuck you, dude. I don’t - - I don’t even know the girl,” she said, pursing her lips and crossing her arms again.

Penny raised both eyebrows. “Uh huh.” Oddly, he couldn't hear any of Kady's thoughts.

Kady narrowed her eyes. Before she could say anything (an insult, probably), their attention was called to the front of the room by a man in a suit. He started to talk about stuff like Disciplines and dorms and Penny soon found himself being ushered out of the room with crowds of other students.

Dorms. What an awful concept. 

Penny got handed a card with a number on it -- "your dorm number; your roommate should already be there" -- and huffed, walking off. 

After a few minutes he arrived and stared at the plain door with silver numbers. He could already hear noises coming from inside the room, footsteps and quiet thumps.

Sighing, he opened the door.

Penny was met with an unexpected sight; his roommate, presumably, was fucking _adorable_. In the exact way Penny was always weak for; he had long hair falling in his face, a baggy flannel over a t-shirt, and was actively staring at Penny with wide, startled eyes. Like a goddamn deer.

And best of all? He was blushing. As if he liked what he saw.

Penny barely resisted the urge to grin, like a fool. "Hey," he greeted casually.

Quentin startled and scrambled back a few steps. "Um. Hi," he squeaked. "I -- I hope you don't mind," he said, gesturing at one of the beds. It was covered with boxes of books. "I, uh. I didn't know if I should, uh... wait."

He didn't mind -- _that_ , at least. But then he heard Quentin's thoughts, wild and all at once, hitting him like a pound of bricks. He was thinking about... another student (Eliot). Penny pressed his lips together.

Who the fuck was _Eliot_?

"You're leaking, _hard_ , man," Penny said, a bit more gruff than he'd intended. Really.

Quentin startled again and sat back on his bed. He looked down at himself then back up at Penny again, eyes wide and searching in confusion. God, he was so fucking cute. "Um. Excuse me?"

Penny shook his head and cleared his throat. "Your -- your thoughts," he explained, maybe not very well because Quentin just kept staring at him. "I can hear them," he continued, and finally Quentin reacted.

"Oh, oh," he breathed and looked down. "Sorry? I -- I don't know how to control them?"

Penny grunted; normally he could block out other people's thoughts. He had learned when he was much younger. For survival, frankly. But certain people, especially when emotional, still bled through like little needles, insistent and loud. Quentin was no exception.

"Just -- calm down," he instructed, probably unhelpfully.

Quentin stared at him. "Um. I can try," he said quietly. "Sorry," he repeated.

"No worries," Penny said, though no matter the person he wasn't a fan of hearing their thoughts. He plopped on the other bed and leaned back against the headboard, scrubbing a hand down his face. 

Quentin was equal parts cute and fucking _loud as shit_.

"I'll -- I'll go," Quentin blurted as he scrambled to his feet.

Penny moved his hand away and stared at him. "What? No, you don't -- "

But Quentin was already out the door.

"Fuck," Penny said to an empty room. History, once again, repeated itself.

* * *

Classes didn't start for the new students until the following day, so after Quentin left, Penny dragged himself out of his slump and explored Brakebills. It was a big, beautiful place after all -- even Penny, with all his optimism, couldn't deny that. Things took a turn, however, when he came across Kady again, leaning against the side of one of the buildings, lips pursed, arms crossed.

Did she ever _uncross_ her arms? 

Kady noticed him quickly. She didn't say anything, though. Sighing, Penny walked over and joined her in leaning on the building, a few feet down. "Normally, I would just dig through your thoughts for the answer, but considering you're insanely locked up, gotta do this the old fashion way."

Kady cut her eyes at him. 

"What's got you in such a piss poor mood?"

She laughed dryly. " _Please_ ," she rolled her eyes. "I'm not the one who looks like a kicked puppy," she remarked. "What -- still haven't found a girl dumb enough to fall for your charm?"

Penny looked away, squinting at a tree far off in the distance. "Not exactly."

"Wait," Kady said. She sounded way too amused. She pushed off from the building and walked into Penny's line of sight. She was grinning. "I'm right, aren't I?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Not exactly," he repeated. "Shift pronouns a little, would ya?"

"Ohh," Kady leaned back, whistling. "Okay, boy problems."

Penny snorted. "Hardly, I just met the dude," he said, promptly squashing down any feelings. "Just disappointed I can't have a celebratory laid," he said, gesturing widely. 

Kady did not look convinced and he hated it. She shrugged, though, and moved back out of his line of sight. "I talked to her," she said after a moment, surprising both Penny -- and apparently herself, he realized, as he looked over and noticed the way she'd grown stiff. "The girl from earlier, I mean."

"Oh," he said. "Didn't go well?"

Kady let out a huff of laughter. "She has a _boyfriend_."

Penny cringed and folded his arms over his chest. "Bummer."

"Does your unnamed little twink have a girlfriend?"

Penny bristled and looked at her like she was crazy. "T -- twink?" he stuttered out, generally caught off guard for once in his life. He shook his head and looked away. "Not that I know of," he answered finally.

Kady nudged him. "See, so you already have it easier than me."

He laughed sharply and shook his head again. Kady was fucking weird, man.

"So, who is he?" Kady asked after a while, already searching the seas of students.

Penny looked out upon the seas of students. He didn't think he'd actually see him; he wasn't even sure where he'd run off to earlier but then, miraculously, he spotted him, walking with a girl. "Wait," he said, pointing before he could think better of it. "That's -- that's him, and that's -- "

Kady raised both eyebrows. "Fuck me," she breathed. "My girl and your boy know each other. What are the odds?"

He peeked at her. "Are you sure _he's_ not her boyfriend?" he asked, dreading the answer.

Kady hummed thoughtfully. "I only know because she got a call from him when I approached her, and it sounded like the guy wasn't part of -- " she gestured vaguely " -- any of this, so."

Penny ignored the relief that bloomed in his chest, warm and comforting. "Right. Okay."

Kady stared at him a little too knowingly. "Right," she mimicked, looking back toward the pair as they disappeared around a corner. 

* * *

Penny went back to the dorms after that. He walked slowly, watched as the seas of students started to thin. He was equal parts excited and fucking terrified of seeing his roommate again. He needed to get his shit together and _be nice_. You can be nice and confident, he reminded himself.

Once he reached the dorms he opened the door and took the stairs, two steps at time. 

He stopped outside his door and listened; it was quiet. Squaring his shoulders, he opened the door. His roommate (shit, seriously, what was his name? how didn't Penny know already?) was sitting at his desk, flipping through a book.

He quickly looked up when he heard the door, though. "Oh. Hi."

Penny nodded his acknowledgement and closed the door, leaning against it for a moment. His roommate smiled sheepishly and turned back to his book, ducking his head, hair falling in his eyes.

How could he even _read_ like that?

"I'm Penny, by the way."

He startled and looked up again. "What?"

Penny snorted. "Penny," he repeated, raising an eyebrow. "My name."

"Oh. Oh, fuck, right. I'm Quentin."

Penny nodded and pushed away from the door, walking over and sitting on the edge of his bed. "What are you reading?" he asked, genuinely curious. He wanted to know as much about Quentin as he could, which apparently, unfortunately, included the books he liked to read.

(Penny wasn't a big reader, honestly.)

Quentin looked over at him and there was something -- fragile in his eyes. But also surprisingly stubborn. "Fillory and Further," he said, jutting his chin up in the air.

He was so fucking cute. 

Penny was saying, "you mean those stupid books for kids?", before he could stop himself. He knew now why Quentin had had that look in his eyes; he winced visibly and sharply turned away, hunching over the book.

He'd been expecting that kind of reply. Because he thought Penny was an asshole, probably, and he'd just proven him right. Fuck.

"I mean," Penny quickly continued, as casually as possible, "I'm sure even they have their merits."

Quentin didn't reply. Double fuck. 

The silence grew more and more stifling; Penny didn't know what to do. Finally, he just laid back and rolled over, closing his eyes. Not two seconds later, he heard Quentin push his chair back and turn off the lights, crawling into his own bed moments later. Penny peeked at him. He was sleeping with his back turned toward him. Sighing softly, Penny closed his eyes again.

Triple fuck.

* * *

When he woke up, Quentin was still sleeping. Penny climbed out of bed and brushed his teeth, washed his face. Finally, when he was pulling on his clothes for the day, Quentin stirred and sat up. His hair was a wild mess. Penny suppressed a grin.

"Hey," he said, grabbing the sheer button up he'd chosen for the day. "Sleep well?"

Quentin blinked a few times, probably getting the sleep out of his eye, before he looked at Penny and he -- he flushed at the sight of Penny's bare chest. 

Penny raised both eyebrows. Interesting.

"Um. Yes," he answered after a moment, looking away. "You?"

Penny hummed as he tugged the shirt on. "I've slept better," he admitted. "Never liked sleeping in new places."

"Oh." Quentin scooted to the edge of his bed and put his feet on the floor. "Why not?"

That was a totally valid question, Penny knew, which was exactly why he usually didn't tell people things. He stood still for a second, buttoning up his shirt. "It's... _complicated_ ," he answered finally.

Which was both the truth and a lie; there was nothing that complicated about growing up as an orphan, tossed from foster home to foster home. Lots of kids are in the system. But the _feelings_ that came from it were nothing short of complicated.

He looked up and a little startled by the look Quentin was giving him, soft and understanding and kind. "Okay," he said, not pushing it.

Penny looked away again and they both finished getting ready.

* * *

The thing was, guys -- people, in general, really -- like Quentin were usually pretty antisocial. Real introverts. Quentin, however, ended up being an exception. He was almost never at the dorms. Penny tried hiding his disappointment but apparently he wasn't very good at it.

"Stop sulking," Kady said, smacking him in the arm. Penny winced. _Ow_. "Just ask him out."

Penny leveled with an unimpressed look. "I'll do it when you do it."

Kady raised a dark eyebrow. "Did we forget Julia has a _boyfriend_? Not the same thing."

"How am I supposed to ask him out when I barely even see him?" Penny shot back.

Kady shrugged. "Find a way."

"Whatever," he muttered under his breath. 

Kady's expression softened a little around the edges. Most people probably wouldn't be able to tell but Penny knew better. "Do you know where he's disappearing off to?"

"He mentioned something about... a cottage?"

Kady blinked. "Okay, unhelpful," she mumbled, crossing her arms. "Whatever, just ask him."

"I'll -- I'll think about it, okay?"

Kady rolled her eyes, nudging him. "He won't wait around forever, Penny."

"I'm well aware, Kady," he replied gruffly.

* * *

A few days later, and another few days of not seeing Quentin much at all, they were tested for their Disciplines and sorted into their permanent houses. Or whatever. Penny was to be with the psychics, unsurprisingly. What was surprising was finding out he was a Traveler. Interesting.

Kady was sorted away with the physical kids. That also wasn't very surprising; Penny had seen her practicing -- she was a natural at battle magic. 

What was surprising, however, was the information she gave him. 

"You know what they call the house for the physical kids?" she asked, smirking.

Penny shrugged; he genuinely had no idea. Kady grinned like a shark. "The Physical Kids' Cottage," she said, folding her arms and looking wildly pleased with herself, "I think we know where little Q has been running off to."

He suppressed his excitement. "Cool," he said, going for light and casual.

Kady was not fooled. She was never fooled; she was way smarter than you'd think based on her grades. " _And_ ," she continued, "apparently he'll be spending even more time there because it looks like the kid's Discipline is, hear this, Minor Mending." She chuckled, shaking her head. 

Penny absorbed the information and tucked it away for later. 

* * *

"So, what's your Discipline?" Penny asked later that night. He knew, of course, but still.

Quentin was sitting at his desk, looking surprisingly down. "It's -- stupid," he sighed, glancing down and picking at a loose thread hanging from his t-shirt. "I mean, everyone else has such -- such cool Disciplines. Eliot can move shit with his _mind_. This girl in my class, she can bend light. Literal light -- " he huffed, shoulders slumping. "And I can fucking fix broken mugs."

Eliot, _again_. Penny ignored the unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach and said, "I think that's pretty useful if you ask me."

Quentin looked up and smiled, just a little. The unpleasant feeling in Penny's stomach was zapped away. "Thanks," he muttered, quiet but sincere. "What about you? I mean, I know you can, like, read minds but."

Penny sat down on his bed. He almost considered lying because he didn't want to make Quentin feel even worse about his own Discipline but fuck it. Penny wasn't going to pretend to be something he wasn't. He'd decided that a long, long time ago, long before Quentin and his stupid dimples came into his life.

"I'm a Traveler," he said and when Quentin looked vaguely confused, he explained further, "I can travel, literally, between worlds and stuff."

Quentin stared at him with wide eyes. "That's... so fucking cool," he breathed. "Wow, Penny."

"Hmm," Penny shrugged and was honest about the next part, "I'm kind of terrified, actually."

Quentin frowned, furrowing his brows. "Why?"

"I don't know," he sighed and looked up. "I -- apparently being a Traveler is, like, rare and cool and shit but apparently it's really dangerous, too, and hard to master." He shrugged again before looking back down. "So, you know. You win some, you lose some."

Quentin smiled, a little wider. "I think you'll be able to figure things out," he said, genuinely. 

Penny swallowed around the lump forming in his throat. "Thanks," he whispered. 

"No problem," Quentin replied with warm, open eyes before turning away. 

Tonight would be their last night together. Penny knew he should probably ask him out before they went separate ways, but he just couldn't. _Soon_ , he convinced himself. So, like normal, they both crawled in bed around eleven and went to sleep. What wasn't normal was Penny waking up at around -- he checked the clock -- three in the morning to the sounds of Quentin's thoughts.

Quentin had gotten help to learn a few mind wards early on, and they hadn't had another incident after that. But now, in the middle of the night, his wards were down completely and Penny couldn't help but hear,

Eliot, _Eliot_ , the name spilling from Quentin's mind like a river, repeating over and over.

Penny grew stiff and switched his lamp on. "Quentin!"

Not even a second later, Quentin was sitting up in his bed, bleary-eyed and looking guilty. "I -- I forgot to put my wards up," he whispered, an admission.

Penny let out a deep sigh and looked away. "It's. It's fine, whatever. Just do it."

Quentin smiled sheepishly and performed the quick spell, putting wards up around his mind. Penny relaxed, just a little. "Sorry."

He leaned over and turned his lamp back off. "Don't worry about it," he replied gruffly. He promptly ignored the pain in his chest.

* * *

"You haven't mentioned Quentin at all lately," Kady said; they were sitting near a fountain, eating lunch. She was watching Penny curiously, openly.

He grunted and decided he was no longer hungry. "He's interested in someone else," he said. _Eliot_. He hadn't even met the guy yet, wasn't sure he wanted to. "So, fuck it."

Kady leaned over and slapped a hand down on his shoulder. Penny looked up and met her eyes. She smiled brightly, which looked a little odd on her face. "You're a fucking idiot," she said, squeezing his shoulder, _hard_. 

Penny winced and knocked her hand away. "I'm not chasing after him like a fucking school girl with a crush, Kady. I'm better than _that_ , at least."

"Are you?"

Penny glared at her. "Fuck you."

Kady hummed thoughtfully. "No thanks. I think you're more interested in fucking Quentin."

"You're evil," he muttered.

Kady beamed and took a bite out of her hamburger. "Thanks, I get that a lot." She chewed quickly and swallowed. "Anyway, I was going to tell you that they're having a party tonight. At the Cottage." She raised both eyebrows. "Butttttttt I guess you're not interested, then."

Penny pressed his lips together. "Maybe I am, but for other reasons."

"Oh?" Kady tapped a finger against her thigh. "Like what?"

Penny sniffed. "Who doesn't enjoy a good party?"

She nodded. "Right, of course. Well, it's at eight." She smirked. "If you're interested."

* * *

Penny arrived at around eight thirty; fashionably late and all. The door was wide open, welcoming, and he took the invitation. The Cottage was, by all accounts, the perfect spot for a party. It was dim and smelt of wonderful, fruity cocktails.

So that's where Penny went; the bar. He walked over and peered at the man working it. He was beautiful, but not really Penny's type, too confident and tall and dark, dark hair with curls, dark eyes that would probably be ligher in the daylight, to be fair. He looked up from where he was mixing a drink and smiled at Penny.

"What do you want?"

Penny smirked. "Whatever is making this place smell like _that_."

"Good choice," the man replied breezily.

Penny stood and waited patiently as the man started on his drink, moving quickly and gracefully. That's when he saw him: Quentin. He thought he'd be over him, really, Penny wasn't known for _pining_ but one look and his heart squeezed painfully.

It didn't help that the aforementioned man was walking toward him, smiling brightly.

"Penny," he greeted. "I -- I haven't seen you in a few days."

He sounded... _disappointed_. Penny took any hope he felt growing and squashed it.

"Q," the man -- the bartender -- said. "This is Penny?"

Penny watched as Quentin flushed and ducked his head, hair falling in his face. "Uh, yeah." He cleared his throat and, still keeping his head down, gestured in the general direction of the other man. "Penny, this is Eliot."

Eliot. His mouth suddenly felt insanely dry. He wet his lips slowly. 

"The pleasure is all mine," Eliot said with a wink. "Here," he said, handing Penny his drink.

He understood suddenly why Quentin had a crush on Eliot; he was beautiful and tall and obviously very charming. Penny took a swig of his drink, welcomed the familiar burn on the back of his throat. 

"Thanks," he said in Eliot's direction before turning around and walking away.

He needed some air. Like right now. He spotted Kady on his way; she was talking with Julia and she looked -- genuinely happy, bright-eyed and laughing at something Julia had said. Julia was grinning like a fool.

Well, at least Kady was maybe getting her happy ending. She deserved it.

Penny walked out the back and noticed a couple of chairs. Sighing, he walked over and sat down, taking another sip of his drink, wishing suddenly he had ordered something stronger. Fuck Eliot, fuck Quentin, and fuck his stupid fucking feelings. Pursing his lips, he looked up at the sky.

"I'm never going to be fucking happy, am I?"

The sky, predictably, did not answer. He scoffed and finished his drink.

The party was finally dying down when, what would later be referred to by Kady and others as The Incident, occurred. Penny was a little tipsy and tired and still so fucking jealous (not that he'd ever, ever admit such a thing). Deciding it was time to wrap things up, including his stupid moping, he stood up, splashing a bit of his drink on his shirt. 

"Fuck," he muttered lowly.

God didn't exist, probably, but if he did he obviously did not like Penny very much.

"Fuck you, buddy," he slurred toward the sky and that's when he saw it: movement tucked away in the woods behind the Cottage. Penny squinted and for a stupid, emotional moment hoped it was Quentin. "Hey!" he called loudly. "Who's out there?"

Just then the door opened and -- Penny's heart leaped at the sight of Quentin, a little drunk himself, probably, judging by the flushed cheeks.

"Quentin," he said, straightening up and forgetting entirely about the mysterious stranger.

"Hi," Quentin said, a little shy, ducking his head. 

Penny swallowed thickly. Quentin was drunk and he was drunk and if he kissed him right now neither of them would probably remember it in the morning. He stepped forward on the patio and Quentin peered up at him.

"Quentin, I -- "

" _Penny!_ " Quentin interrupted him and he sounded worried -- no, more like fucking terrified. He roughly pushed Penny out of the way and threw a powerful burst of battle magic that both terrified and impressed the fuck out of Penny as he stumbled back and fell, catching sight of another student.

The door flew open and Eliot and Margo both came running out, looking frazzled but determined. Penny finally noticed the fucking knife in the guy's hand just as Margo took him down. 

"Hold him, El!" she snapped, and he somehow held him in place without even casting.

Penny blinked as Quentin filled his vision, kneeling down and hovering over him. "Oh," he breathed. "Oh, thank God."

He stared at Quentin. Of course, because he's a fucking idiot, the first words out of his mouth are: "I had no idea you could do battle magic."

Quentin laughed, sharp and wet. "Yeah, neither did I," he admitted sheepishly.

"Penny?" Kady came stumbling out of the cottage and rushed to his side. "Fuck," she glanced over at the offender, who was still being held down by Margo and Eliot. "I'll fucking

kill him," she said, and she sounded scarily like she was not joking.

He reached out and touched her arm. "He didn't even get me, Kady."

"Yeah, but -- " she cut herself off and glanced at Quentin. "You helped him?" Quentin nodded. "Thanks," Kady said, gruff but sincere.

Quentin startled and quickly scrambled to his feet. "Um. Of course. I -- I'm glad you're safe, Penny," he said, almost too fast. Before Penny could reply, he was gone, vanishing back inside the cottage.

* * *

Penny didn't know the guy, neither did Quentin or any of the other students at the party. Apparently his name was Mike and he'd been flunked out and was supposed to have his memory erased before he was thrown out but he'd slipped through the cracks somehow, and returned with a vengeance. 

He didn't really have a target; Penny and Quentin were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Penny scoffed at the news. "I almost got stabbed and the guy wasn't even aiming for me?"

Kady smirked and nudged him. "Almost," she reminded him. "So stop milking it."

He grinned. "I'll try."

But then he remembered the party and what had occurred before The Incident; meeting Eliot, connecting the dots that the guy Quentin liked was Eliot. His grin vanished within seconds. Kady frowned and nudged him again.

"What?"

Penny sighed and looked away. "Nothing."

Kady raised an eyebrow, but didn't push. They never pushed each other too far; that's why they were such good friends. 

* * *

See, Penny knew it wasn't Quentin's fault. He couldn't help if he'd fallen for Eliot, not Penny. But he still couldn't help being a little angry and that anger bubbled over one day while he was walking and heard Quentin's thoughts again.

He was singing some stupid song in his head. 

_Is it cool that I said all that?_

_Is it chill that you're in my head?_

_'Cause I know that it's delicate._

Penny ignored the burning heat in the pit of his stomach as he stalked over. Quentin was sitting under a tree, reading, when he approached him. He startled upon Penny's arrival and scrambled to his feet.

"Um."

Penny glared at him. "I thought you'd gotten your shit under control," he said, maybe a little too mean. Quentin winced and hugged his book to his chest. "Seriously, shut -- " he tapped the side of Quentin's head " -- it up."

"I'm sorry," Quentin said quickly. "I just -- Sorry."

Penny almost melted seeing Quentin's expression, so sad and wide-eyed. "Stop that," he said gruffly. "Just do the spell again, okay? And Taylor Swift, _really_?"

Quentin nodded and quickly started to go through the tuts, but his book was kind of in the way and he obviously didn't want to set it on the ground. _Nerd_. Penny huffed and reached for it. His fingers skimmed the bare skin of Quentin's arm as he grabbed the book, and Quentin shivered visibly, stepping back.

Penny frowned deeply. "What was that?"

"I -- "

Penny scoffed and threw the book down. "Whatever," he said, turning away.

Quentin grabbed his arm, soft but firm. "Penny, it's not -- " 

Penny turned on him, all his anger and disappointment and sadness bubbling over. "What?"

He gulped. "It's not what you think," he said, quietly, looking down. "I -- I just. I know you hate me or whatever and I just -- I don't get it. I mean, I saved your fucking life!"

Penny gaped at him. " _What?_ " He was entirely focused on the first part; _you hate me_.

"You don't have to pretend," Quentin said flatly, still not looking at him. "The message has been received loud and clear."

What the fuck? What the _fuck?_

Penny reached up with his other hand and gripped Quentin's wrist, gently, squeezing lightly. "Quentin, what the everlovingfuck are you talking about?"

"You -- you've been avoiding me since that night at the party," he muttered, almost sadly.

Penny swallowed thickly. "Because," he argued weakly. _You were so obviously all over Eliot, and I'm an asshole and I couldn't just sit by and watch as you pined over him. I'm too selfish. I'm sorry._

Quentin finally looked up, eyes wide and just a little wet. "Because what?" he prompted gently, searching Penny's face. "What did I do?"

"I -- " 

Before he could say anything: "Quentin!"

Penny looked over and saw Eliot a few feet away, waving. He scoffed and released Quentin's wrist. Right, well. "I don't hate you," he said because he could at least be honest about that. 

"Really?" Quentin asked.

He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Now, go, your friend is waiting for you."

Quentin hesitated for a few seconds before he bent down and picked up his book, cradling it. "See you later, Penny."

Penny grunted in reply and watched helplessly as Quentin ran off to join Eliot.

* * *

"Julia broke up with her boyfriend," Kady announced. She looked both happy and sad.

Raising an eyebrow, Penny nudged her. "You should be happy about that, right?"

Kady sighed softly. "I am, which firstly makes me, like, a terrible person, right?" Penny just shrugged and she continued, "but also... I don't know. I don't enjoy seeing her so -- so _sad_. I want her to be happy."

"You're surprisingly sweet under all those layers," Penny teased, poking her.

Kady swatted his hand away. "Tell a soul and I'll murder you and hide the body."

"Kinky," he said, waggling his eyebrows. Kady laughed sharply and punched his arm. For a moment he was truly happy.

Kady patted his arm, soothing it with a bit of healing magic. Kady succeeded better at battle magic, no doubt, but she had a few healing tricks up her sleeve, too. She looked at him, soft and understanding, still unfitting for her face. "Quentin has been super mopey lately, even more than usual. I think -- "

Penny looked away. "Kady, don't."

"I think," she continued anyway, "you should talk to him."

He thought of their last encounter and pursed his lips. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Penny," she said, surprisingly firm. He finally looked at her. "Have you really talked to him? Like, at all?"

He stared at her. "What do you mean?"

Kady raised both eyebrows. "Exactly," she said with a sigh. "You keep -- making assumptions and avoiding him, but you won't just sit down and have a real fucking conversation. You're an adult, Penny, _act_ like it."

He just stared at her still. "What if -- "

"What if something bad happens?" Kady finished knowingly. Her eyes grew soft. "But what if something _good_ happens?"

Penny hated that she was right. He looked away. 

* * *

Penny took a couple days to gather his thoughts. Finally one day, after classes, he showed up at the Cottage. He knocked once before opening the door; the main living area was mostly empty except for -- 

"Eliot," he greeted tersely.

"Penny," he greeted back, lighter. "Looking for Quentin?"

He narrowed his eyes before shaking his head and loosening up. Eliot didn't do anything wrong, he kept reminding himself. "Yeah."

"Good," Eliot sighed softly and scooted over on the couch, patting the spot beside him. "Come here, sit."

Penny debated his options. Did he really want to sit with the guy who'd stolen Quentin's heart? No, but he also needed to do what Kady said: act like an adult. Licking his lips, he walked over and sat down.

"I think," Eliot started, slowly, "that there's been a misunderstanding."

Penny cut his eyes at him. "How so?" he asked, watching him closely.

Eliot sighed again, a little louder. "You think Quentin likes me," he said. It wasn't a question. Penny grew stiff. "And, frankly, I'm flattered, but I think you've been given the wrong impression. I _know_ Quentin doesn't like me. Well," he smiled lightly, "as more than a friend, at least."

That wasn't -- that couldn't be right.

"He was dreaming of you," Penny blurted. Fuck, he probably shouldn't have disclosed that information without permission.

Eliot cocked his head curiously. "When?"

"I -- I don't know. It was," he gestured vaguely, "early on."

Eliot nodded and hummed thoughtfully. "Quentin is... _cute_ ," he started after a moment, and Penny felt the words like needles. "Very innocent, not very experienced." He sighed. "I couldn't help wanting to... take him under my wing, if you will."

Penny blinked. "Okay, weird," he said.

"Not like that," he rolled his eyes. "When we first met, he confessed to having a crush on his roommate." Eliot paused for a moment, giving Penny a chance to properly absorb his words. "He said he wanted my advice because I was oh so experienced and charming," he leaned back. "So, he kept coming over and I kept advising him on what to do. To impress," he reached over and poked Penny in the chest, " _you_."

Penny let out a sudden, sharp laugh. "What the fuck?"

"One night he even wanted to practice, so I told him to pretend he was coming onto me," he raised both eyebrows. "I'm assuming some wires got crossed while he was dreaming and that's what you heard."

Penny looked away. He suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. "What the fuck," he repeated, quieter, no longer a question.

"That's why he's been spending so much time with me. Or, well," Eliot sighed, "why he was spending so much time with me. Recently, he told me we could stop -- said he was being a fool and deluding himself, thinking he could ever have a chance with you." 

Penny turned and looked at him. "I'm a fucking idiot."

"You're a fucking idiot," Eliot confirmed, much too cheerily. "Q's upstairs, by the way."

* * *

Penny ascended the stairs and realized with a fright that he didn't actually know which room belonged to Quentin; there were so many of them. He was about to walk back down the stairs and ask Eliot when one of them opened and he startled. Bingo. Quentin looked up and paused, lingering in the doorway.

"Hi," he greeted lamely.

Quentin stared at him for a long, quiet moment. "What do you want?" he asked, looking away with a frown.

Penny ignored the ache in his chest, all consuming and painful. "Can we talk, Q?" he asked, using Quentin's common nickname for the first time ever, hoping -- praying -- that would do something.

It did; Quentin quickly whipped his head back around and looked at Penny with wide eyes.

"Please?" he added after a few beats.

Quentin pressed his lips together and nodded mutely, stepping back into his room. Penny followed after him and, once inside, gently closed the door behind him. Quentin's room was so... fitting; books were scattered all over the place and his bed was a mess, the blanket nearly on the floor.

His heart did something funny as he watched Quentin sit down at his desk, hanging his head. He looked so _dejected_.

"Quentin, if I ask you something," he started, slowly, "will you be honest with me?"

Quentin grew stiff. "Yes," he whispered.

Penny walked over and sat on Quentin's bed. The room was fairly small; even like this Penny could almost touch him. He barely held back, tucking his hands in his lap. "Do you like Eliot?" he asked first because he just needed to hear it from his lips. 

"Wh -- " Quentin looked up. " _No_."

Penny felt something untangle in his chest. "Okay." He took a deep breath. "Do you like me?"

Quentin quickly looked back down. For a few minutes it was silent. Finally, Quentin answered, quiet and soft, "I do, yeah." Then, "I -- I don't expect you to, like, feel the same way." He looked up for just a split second before looking away again. "I know you're, like, totally out of my league and -- and you're always hanging out with Kady, and -- and you don't owe me anything for saving you that night."

Unable to help himself, Penny reached out and placed a hand on Quentin's leg. He quickly shut up. "Firstly, Kady and I are just _friends_. Don't you see the way she looks at Julia?" 

Quentin looked up. " _What?_ "

God, he was an idiot. And so, so cute. Penny suppressed a grin. "Secondly, I think you're one of the cutest people I have ever met."

"Are you fucking with me?" he asked, and he was _pouting_.

Jesus, the kid was going to be the death of Penny. 

"Nope," Penny replied breezily, squeezing his leg. "Fuck, Q, I've wanted you since I first laid my eyes on you, but." He laughed dryly. "I thought you wanted Eliot. Then, I thought you were terrified of me and -- "

Quentin reached out and grabbed Penny's hand, holding it. "I'm not," he said. "You just -- you always made me so insanely nervous. Like, I didn't know what to do or -- or say." 

"So," Penny breathed out, slow and steady. "What you're saying is we're both idiots."

Quentin squeezed his hand, just a little. "Yeah," he confirmed, the corners of his mouth quirking up. "I think that's exactly what I'm saying."

"Kady is going to be so annoying," Penny said, smirking. "She won't let me live this down, you know." He squeezed Quentin's hand back.

"Sorry," Quentin said with a shrug but he didn't look even a little bit sorry.

Penny leaned forward. "Q," he said, soft, gently. "I really want to kiss you right now."

Quentin grinned, sudden and bright. Penny didn't think he'd ever get tired of seeing that grin. He stroked the back of Penny's hand with his thumb. "I really want you to kiss me right now, too," he breathed.

"Good," Penny said before he leaned forward the rest of the way and pressed their lips together. Quentin's lips were rough. Penny didn't give a shit. Eventually, he pulled back; Quentin chased after his lips. Penny smirked and reached out, cupping the side of his face. "Shh." Quentin stared at him, red faced and wide-eyed. "What's the rush?"

Quentin gulped audibly. "You -- you mean we can do this again?"

Penny almost laughed. "Q, I just confessed my feelings for you after you confessed your feelings for _me_. Of course we can do this again." Then, a little softer, "if you want."

"Oh, God," Quentin breathed. "I want. Yes, please."

Penny stroked Quentin's jaw with his thumb. Quentin smiled, soft and happy. He turned his head and nuzzled the palm of Penny's hand, kissing it. Maybe, just maybe, even people like Penny deserved to be happy. _Could_ be happy.

"I should probably tell you, though," Penny started, and for a moment Quentin looked scared, "my real name is William."

That startled a laugh out of Quentin, who quickly covered his mouth. "It's not -- I'm not laughing at _you_."

Penny grinned and reached up, tucking some hair behind one of Quentin's ears. "It's okay," he said. He left the second part unsaid: _I love your laugh._

* * *

Kady elbowed Penny. "So, looks like we both got our happy endings, huh?" she asked, eyeing Julia and Quentin as they talked animatedly about something stupid and nerdy.

Kady had gotten the girl. Penny had gotten Quentin. Just a few days apart, too.

He was, of course, also watching them. Quentin must've felt his eyes on him at some point because he looked over and smiled shyly. Penny smiled back, feeling truly content for the first time in, maybe, forever. "Yeah," he whispered. "We did. Somehow."


End file.
